Guest guest Posted April 6, 2003 Report Share Posted April 6, 2003 Here is an account of an incident that reinforces my friend's dim view of humanity. I thought the animal lovers on the list might share in our consternation. For the record, Darla is his common law wife, who suffers from Cerebral Palsey. ************ I become more and more misanthropic by the day. The war has much to do with it, but it is not alone. I took Darla out for a walk the other day. As is our custom she was in her electric wheelchair, and her cat, Panther, was seated in her lap. Panther was on a leash secured to the frame of her chair. We walked up the street, Darla, Panther, Bear our dog, and me. Just one block form the house we encountered a noisy ATV. Its roaring engine terrified the cat, and she leaped off the chair, and ended up dangling from the leash just above the ground. The dog also bolted and his chain got wrapped around the chair. As I was attached to the dog, I decided that I had to free the chair before I could even attempt to rescue the cat. This turned out to be a major error on my part, as within a few second the cat slipped right through the leash and ran! Panther has never been on her own outside, so I have no idea if she could find her way home. As you can imagine Darla was very upset. I quickly freed the dog, and lashed his chain to her chair and set off after the cat. She ran onto a near by porch where two children were playing and a woman in he 30s was talking on a cell phone. I asked the group if the could grab Panther, but to my amazement all three completely ignored me and the cat! I followed her up the street were she disappeared under a car. An elderly woman directed me across the street where I spotted her under a bush. Again she ran toward a house with a fenced in yard. At this point a man driving a large bronze colored pickup truck pulled in and parked. The truck was decorated with an American flag on the antenna, a confederate flag on the rear window, two flag decals on the tail gate, and a " hero's of flight 93 " bumper sticker. As the guy climbed out I pointed toward the cat, which was now in his yard and said " I am trying to get that cat. It belongs to that girl in the wheelchair (Darla and the dog were about 50 feet up the street and very visible), and she is going to be very upset if I don't get it. Do you think you could help me for a second? " To this the guy replied " Shoot it! " , walked into the house and slammed the door! He said it loud enough for Darla to hear, and she responded with a ferocious scream. I followed the cat into the guy's yard down the fence line, and into the alley. She then entered yet another yard when I managed to pick her up. Darla was so angry at the guy's comment that she made quite a scene passing the house on the way home. I have lived in this filthy little town for 45 years, and only one of my neighbors offered even the slightest assistance. Were that not bad enough, we had to encounter some redneck jerk with a poison mouth. My father by the way would have punched the guy. I mean that, he really would have, Not only would he have at my age, he may well have punched the guy had he been there that day. Not sure if this is an advancement on my part or not. Darla wants to write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper describing the incident. I am not sure if that is the way to go or not. What I can't figure out is the kid. I would have guessed that most kids would have relished the chance to help intercept a cat, but no. It doesn't do much for one's outlook on humanity. There is in the clergy of all the Christian denominations a time-serving, cringing, subservient morality, as wide from the spirit of the Gospel as it is from the intrepid assertion and vindication of truth. ~ John Quincy Adams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 6, 2003 Report Share Posted April 6, 2003 What a sad commentary on things, that even small town life has decayed to this level. They used to blame big cities for us being isolated. Then they blamed our itinerant lifestyles; we move around so much we " don't have time to get to know or care about our neighbors " . Well, no. It's inclination. We don't WANT to know anyone these days, let alone care. We stand watching someone die rather than lift a finger to help. Why? Couldn't possibly be the right wing intolerance spewing 24/7 out of every media outlet, could it? " Whatever I am, I'm not a physical me. I am not a thing, a noun. I seem to be a verb. " --R. Buckminster Fuller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 6, 2003 Report Share Posted April 6, 2003 gene, so sorry your friends had that experience and encountered so many people who obviously suck. unfortunately, those kind of people are everywhere. it's hard not to become contemptuous. > Couldn't possibly be the right wing intolerance > spewing 24/7 out of every media outlet, could it? have you read " what liberal media? " by eric alterman? www.whatliberalmedia.com susie --- The Stewarts <stews9 wrote: > What a sad commentary on things, that even > small town life has decayed to this level. They > used to blame big cities for us being isolated. > Then they blamed our itinerant lifestyles; we > move around so much we " don't have time to > get to know or care about our neighbors " . > > Well, no. > > It's inclination. We don't WANT to know anyone > these days, let alone care. > We stand watching someone die rather than lift > a finger to help. Why? > > Couldn't possibly be the right wing intolerance > spewing 24/7 out of every media outlet, could it? > > > " Whatever I am, I'm not a physical me. I am not a > thing, > a noun. I seem to be a verb. " > --R. Buckminster Fuller > > > Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more http://tax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 6, 2003 Report Share Posted April 6, 2003 Aw, that is so sad.... Poor Darla, I imagine she was rather pissed off with that heartless comment. I found it sort of odd that the woman on the cell and her kids (?!) didn't even seem to notice your friend and the fact that he was calling to them for help. I also admit I rather laughed imagining the account. I mean he must have looked a sight running willy-nilly after that cat. (been there, done that). This guy is Hagrid's twin brother from Harry Potter, right? Mean people suck, but damn... still kind of makes me giggle. I would have helped him capture the cat, but then I have always loved cats and been able to charm them into letting me pet them. ~ PT ~ If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have a paradise in a few years. ~ Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) ~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> , The Stewarts <stews9@c...> wrote: > Here is an account of an incident that reinforces my friend's dim view > of humanity. I thought the animal lovers on the list might share in our > consternation. For the record, Darla is his common law wife, who suffers > from Cerebral Palsey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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